Garter



July 9, 1929. w, P ET AL V 1.720.291

GARTER Filea Jan. 51. 1928 Patented July 9, 1929.

warren starts main PATENT OFFlCfiI.

warren n. rrrnn, or sunnun'r, AND unease n nawnnncn, or MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GARTER.

Application fi1ed January 31, 192%.

Our present invention relates to garters, and more particularly to that type of garter adapted to encircle the leg of the wearer, and includes anovel method of manufacturing said garters.

An important object of the present invention is the provision'of a garter which will be simple to manufacture, strong, and inexpensive.

Another and important object of the invention is to protect the flesh of the wearer from. the metal parts of the garter.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a garter, the pad portion or portions and button. and loop holding portion or strap of which is formed from a single piece of material. A backing, or pad rein forcement may be utilized, if desired, in place of an integral pad portion.

A further feature of the present invention is the fact that we preferably utilize coated material, or coated fabric, so that there will be no rough or frayed edges, and in this manner we eliminate entirely the folding machine operations heretofore requisite in constructing the pad portions of garters. 0 also eliminate substantially one-half of the labor heretofore required, as well as reducing the expense considerably. lVe are also enabled to effect a considerable saving in material, as we are enabled to utilize scrap material for constructing this pad portion of a garter. The only stitching required to unite the pad and its component parts, as well as to attach the elastic leg encircling strap, is a simple round stitching, which is economical and rapid. The shapes of the pads may be varied as desired, the round pads being simple to stitch.

Vi e may also, if desired, utilize leather or equivalent material for the pad portions of the garter, with great efficiency.

lVhile we have illustrated and described, in the present application, our invention as applied to a leg encircling garter, it will be appreciated that the invention is equally applicable to other types of garters.

in carrying out our present invention, we utilize a piece of material representing the pad of the garter, and having integral therewith a strap or tail. The locking loop is slid over this strap to a point adjacent to the pad. At a predetermined point in the length of the strap is a notched or reduced portion,

Serial No. 250,?92.

at which point the button is positioned. The strap maybe reduced, also, at the point where the locking loop is positioned. Thereupon the strap is folded back on itself, just under the locking loop, for a predetermined distance, or until a portion of the strap is above the lower edge of the pad, whereupon the strap is again folded and extends downwardly to below the button. Thereupon the strap is again folded upon itself and the remainder of the strap-brought up to a point above the lower edge of the pad. If preferred, both pad portions and the strap may be made integral, as illustrated. In this case a slotted button is preferable. l'Vhen uti lizing this construction the final fold in the strap would be in a position to allow the two pad portions or layers to be alined.

A simple clasp member is applied, preferably to the back of the pad member and with its post or button portion protruding through to the front of the front pad portion, which preferably is perforated therefor. If de sired, the folded portions of the strap in back of the pad may be adhered or cemented pending further ope-rations. tic webbing of which the leg encircling por tion is preferably formed is then applied to the back of the pad portion, and preferably another pad portion of the same size and measurement as the first pad portion is applied. These members, so far described, may be adhered or cemented if desired. Thereafter a simple round stitching, or other form if desired, is applied around the edges of the pad portion or portions, which stitching will unite the two pad portions, the elastic webbing, and the portions of the strap which have been brought up to the back of the front pad, or between the pad layers. It will thus be appreciated that this method of manufacturing and assembling eliminates all need for folding machine operations, heretofore re quired when manufacturing the usual garters and pad portions.

When applying the end of the elastic webbing whichis to be secured to the pad, it is only necessary to carry the same to a point where it will be engaged by the stitching at one edge of the pad, although it may be carried entirely across the pad portions to be engaged by the round stitching on each edge of the pad.

In order to carry out our feature of having One end of the elas I the leg of the wearer protected from the metallic parts of the garter, the strap is made sufficiently wide so that the locking loop and cooperating button elements will be backed by a layer of material of greater width than said loop and button. This is an important feature.

W e believe that our garter, as above briefly outlined, is novel, and we have therefore claimed the same broadly herein.

' We also believe that the process of manufacturing this garter is novel, and we have also claimed said process in the present application.

The above and further features of the invention, details of construction, combinations of parts, and advantages, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of our invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pad piece with the integral strap;

F ig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 with the locking loop and button in position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 2 after the strap has been folded;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the structure of Fig. 8;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a completed garter embodying our invention;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 4: but with the two pad layers or portions formed integral with the strap;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the structure of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a strap with integral pads of a shape corresponding to the usual garter pads.

Referring now to the drawings for a particular description of our invention and the method of carrying it out, we first utilize a piece of material having a pad portion 1 and integral strap or tail 2. The said piece of material is preferably of coated material, coated fabric, leather, or other material or substance suitable for garters, and which will not have edges which will'become frayed or roughened in use. The strap 2 preferably has a reduced portion 3. A locking loop 4 is first slid over the strap 2 until it reaches a position as illustrated in Fig. 2, just below the pad portion 1,

said pad portion being herein illustrated as of disc or round formation, although it will be appreciated that the shape of the pad portions is immaterial.

In order to better assure the locking loop 4; remaining in position during subsequent operations or steps, the strap 2 is notched or reduced as shown at 5. Subsequent to the positioning of the locking loop l, the cooperating button 5 is slid over the strap 2 until it is in position on the reduced portion 3,

where it will remain in position, due to the construction of the but-ton and the reduced portion 3. 1f preferred, a slotted button may be used.

Thereupon the strap 2 is folded just below the upper end of the locking loop l, as at (3, back on itself to a point 7 behind the pad portion 1, where it is again folded. This fold 7 is determined by the position of the button 5 relative to the lower end of the locking loop a when in the position illustrated in Figs. 3 and l.

Thereupon the remainder of the strap 2 is folded, just below the button 5, as at 8, and the end of the strap 2 brought up to a position 9 behind the body portion 1. The folds of the strap 2 may be adhered together and to the back of the pad portion 1 if desired. From an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be noted that the strap is of a width greater than the width of the loop 4t and button 5, and that the leg of the wearer will thus be protected from contact with these metallic portions.

Thereupon the clasp member 9 is posi tio-ned on the body portion 1, here illustrated. as in the rear thereof with the button or post 10 thereof protriuling, through the recess 10, to the front of the pad portion or layer 1.

One end of a strip of elastic webbing 11 is then positioned in back of the pad portion 1, and may be adhered thereto if desired. On the opposite end of the elastic strip 11 is a clasp member or loop 12 to cooperate with the post 10, said elastic strip 11 being adapted to encircle the leg of the wearer.

To complete the garter, and particularly the pad portion thereof, a second pad portion 13 is applied to the back of the thus far as sembled garter, and may be adhered thereto if desired. A single or double line of simple round stitching 1-1- is then applied, which unites the pad portions 1 and 13, elastic strip 11 and the folded portions of the strip It will be appreciated that only one line of round stitching 1% may be applied if desired, but we have discovered that two lines is better for all practical purposes, and may be done at one operation on a double needle machine.

In Figs. 7 and 8 we have illustrated the two pad layers 16 and 17 as formed integral with the strap 18. The locking loop 19 and button 20 are attached in the same manner as the locking loop 4 and button 5, except that the button 20 may have a split backing 21 so that it can be attached and positioned at the reduced portion 22 without being slid or forced over the back integral pad layer 17. The rest of the manufacturing and assen'ibling operations will be the same as described for the garter of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

In Fig. 9 I have illustrated a pad similar to the pad of Figs. 7 and 8. except that the pad layers or portions 24; and 25 are not formed round, but correspond to the present and usual. type of garter pads. This variation is only in the shape of the pad layers and of course, any shape of pad desired is Within the range of the present invention. The two pad layers 24; and 25 are united by the integral strap 26.

It Will be understood that the pad arrangements illustrated and described in the present application may be applied with equal efficiency and satisfaction to garters other than those of the leg-encircling type.

While We have necessarily described our in vention somewhat in detail, it will be appreciated that We may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts Within reasonably Wide limits Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Our invention is further defined. and described in the form of a claim as follows:

In a garter, a pad comprising two layers, an integral strap depending from the front layer and having a reduced portion closely adjacent to said pad, a locking loop and a cooperating button on said strap, said strap being folded at said locking loop and said button respectively to form holding means therefor, the folded portion of said strap at said locking loop being positioned between said layers,

. and a line of stitching adjacent to the edges of said pad layers uniting said layers and the folded portion of said strap.

In. testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification. l

VALTEE E. PIPER. GEORGE L. LAWVRENGE. 

